County outlines highway vouchers, paving, chip seal and school‑zone sign changes

County highway superintendent Chris updated the commissioners on multiple ongoing road projects and routine vouchers and asked the board to approve three LPA vouchers for intersection improvements, bridge work and countywide bridge inspection. Commissioners approved the vouchers by voice vote. Chris said Old US 50 work includes bridge/culvert repairs and a milling and resurfacing operation that will take several days and will likely keep the current road closure in place while E&B Paving mills and then resurfaces the segment. He reported the CLR bridge work over Colbert Ditch should be largely complete, subject to underneath work and weather. On longer‑term operations, Chris said tile operations (installing subsurface tile drainage and then fabric, rock and hard surfacing) began and that chip‑seal operations for tiled roads would begin around the 18th. He described weather as a limiting factor on scheduling. Commissioners and staff discussed school‑zone safety near several private and Amish schools. Chris said the county plans to replace faded "School" signs with more visible fluorescent signs that include a 25 mph speed placard under them, so that sheriff's deputies have clearer authority to enforce lower speeds near schools. "We're planning on updating all the school's own signs in the County and the pale yellow signs... to the line more fluorescent signs," he said, adding that changing posted speed limits follows state rules about how far a speed placard can move a posted limit. No new ordinances were proposed; staff said they would pursue the signage changes and determine exact regulatory steps needed to post 25 mph placards where appropriate.